Problem installing qwt plugin

GGH84 · wrote on 11 Jul 2012, 22:54

I've installed the graphing utility files (using "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyAWVxavO3w") but I'm having trouble installing the qwt plugin so that the qwt widgets are available in the design mode of Qt4 creator. I'm a linux noob, I just transitioned onto it yesterday, so I'm finding the learning curve a little steep. I've read other help topics but I'm really stuck. I know it can be a pain in the butt for you guys to explain the same thing over and over again and I wouldn't ask unless I was in dire need of the help. I'm trying to move libqwt_designer_plugin.so from the directory:

/home/greg/designer

to

/usr/lib/qt4/plugins

To try and get the qwt widgets to install. I'm having a hard time getting this to install; time is a factor, as I really need the qwt utility for a university project. Any help you guys could give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you :).

GGH84 · wrote on 12 Jul 2012, 03:28

Also, I'm at the stage were I can run the example files from the command line; so I know that at least some of the download is functioning!

tobias.hunger · wrote on 12 Jul 2012, 08:24

Where did you get Qt Creator from? Our packages come with a custom Qt version (you don't want creator to break when meddling with your Qt versions, do you?;-), so maybe the problem is as simple as you putting the plugin into a wrong Qt version.

uwer · wrote on 12 Jul 2012, 10:44

The plugin needs to see the Qwt library itself.

Try "ldd libqwt_designer_plugin.so" in the same shell, where you start the creator. If the Qwt library is not found see "man ldconfig" or google for LD_LIBRARY_PATH.

Also I recommend to use "make install" instead of copying the Qwt files manually - especially, when you are not familiar with an environment. Following the advices from the INSTALL file usually makes your life with these type of problems much easier.

Uwe

GGH84 · wrote on 12 Jul 2012, 16:06

[quote author="Tobias Hunger" date="1342081489"]Where did you get Qt Creator from? Our packages come with a custom Qt version (you don't want creator to break when meddling with your Qt versions, do you?;-), so maybe the problem is as simple as you putting the plugin into a wrong Qt version.[/quote]

I downloaded the Linux/X11 32-bit version of the Qt SDK from "http://qt.nokia.com/downloads". I decided to transfer to a linux based OS; I thought Ubuntu would be the way to go...

GGH84 · wrote on 12 Jul 2012, 17:02

[quote author="uwer" date="1342089848"]The plugin needs to see the Qwt library itself.

Try "ldd libqwt_designer_plugin.so" in the same shell, where you start the creator. If the Qwt library is not found see "man ldconfig" or google for LD_LIBRARY_PATH.

Also I recommend to use "make install" instead of copying the Qwt files manually - especially, when you are not familiar with an environment. Following the advices from the INSTALL file usually makes your life with these type of problems much easier.

Uwe[/quote]

I tried make install and got the following, albeit a longer output on the console:

@greg@ubuntu:~/qwt-6.0$ make install qwt.pro
cd src/ && make -f Makefile install
make[1]: Entering directory /home/greg/qwt-6.0/src' install -m 755 -p "../lib/libqwt.so.6.0.2" "/usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/lib/libqwt.so.6.0.2" install: cannot remove /usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/lib/libqwt.so.6.0.2': Permission denied
make[1]: [install_target] Error 1 (ignored)
ln -f -s "libqwt.so.6.0.2" "/usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/lib/libqwt.so"
ln: cannot remove /usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/lib/libqwt.so': Permission denied make[1]: [install_target] Error 1 (ignored) ln -f -s "libqwt.so.6.0.2" "/usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/lib/libqwt.so.6" ln: cannot remove /usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/lib/libqwt.so.6': Permission denied
make[1]: [install_target] Error 1 (ignored)
ln -f -s "libqwt.so.6.0.2" "/usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/lib/libqwt.so.6.0"
ln: cannot remove /usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/lib/libqwt.so.6.0': Permission denied make[1]: [install_target] Error 1 (ignored) install -m 644 -p /home/greg/qwt-6.0/src/qwt.h /usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/include/ install: cannot remove /usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/include/qwt.h': Permission denied
make[1]: [install_headers] Error 1 (ignored)
install -m 644 -p /home/greg/qwt-6.0/src/qwt_abstract_scale_draw.h /usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/include/
install: cannot remove /usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/include/qwt_abstract_scale_draw.h': Permission denied make[1]: [install_headers] Error 1 (ignored) install -m 644 -p /home/greg/qwt-6.0/src/qwt_interval_symbol.h /usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/include/ install: cannot remove /usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/include/qwt_interval_symbol.h': Permission denied
@

I think I might need a spoonfeed...

GGH84 · wrote on 13 Jul 2012, 06:25

I finally got the qwt widgets to show up in Qt creator. This took me literally ages, being a Noob linux user! Anyway, I thought I'd copy the steps involved for my own particular solution. I highly recommend following the video "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyAWVxavO3w" which is really useful up until around 8:00 mins in; then you'll probably need to try following my advise.

Step by step process to install qwt plugins for use in Qt4 running on Ubuntu

You are basically trying to copy libqwt_designer_plugin.so into the right plugin folder!

VERY IMPORTANT!!!! You must navigate to the directory containing " libqwt_designer_plugin.so" in order to copy it to other locations in my case it was cd ~/qwt-6.0/designer/plugins/designer...

Step 1.

cd /etc/ld.so.conf.d

Step 2.
sudo gedit qwt.conf

Step 3.
cd /usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn

Step 4.
cd/ lib/

copy and paste
"/usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/lib"

into "qwt.conf" txt file using steps 1 and 2

/usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/lib

greg@ubuntu:/etc/ld.so.conf.d$ sudo ldconfig

ldconfig -p | grep qwt

cd ~/qwt-6.0 (the tilde means home directory as opposed to / which means root directory! A very important distinction)

cd examples

cd ./bin (./ is used to activate executables in linux's command line "terminal")

NB: At this point we can now run the various qwt example files directly from the command line!)

cd ~/qwt-6.0/designer/plugins/designer

(check the contents with ls "the list command")

12a
Note that so "system object" is the linux equivalent of a dll in a windows OS

//====This is the code expressed in the youtube video
sudo cp libqwt_designer_plugin.so /opt/qtcreator-2.1.81/bin/designer/

//=====My equivalent
sudo cp libqwt_designer_plugin.so /usr/local/qwt-6.0.2-svn/plugins/designer

//=====Another potential place to place the so file
sudo cp libqwt_designer_plugin.so /usr/lib/qt4/plugins

12b
//======These are directories to qtcreator

/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/qtcreator/plugins
(sudo cp libqwt_designer_plugin.so /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/qtcreator/plugins )

/usr/share/doc
(sudo cp libqwt_designer_plugin.so /usr/share/doc)

//======================

Resolving the widget problem

libqdeclarativeview.so //search for this
libqwebview.so // search for this If you find both of these files in the same folder chances are all you have to add is:

libqwt_designer_plugin.so

to the same folder

Therefore we must search for the folder containing the first two and record its directory in order to add "libqwt_plugin...".

Results:
1.
"libqdeclarativeview.so" and "libqwebview.so" were found in:

/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/qt4/plugins/designer
(sudo cp libqwt_designer_plugin.so /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/qt4/plugins/designer)

/proc/5536/cwd
(sudo cp libqwt_designer_plugin.so /proc/5536/cwd )
//====================================================================

GGH84 · wrote on 13 Jul 2012, 06:29

It was only from step 12 onwards that I noticed I'd "sorted it"!

uwer · wrote on 13 Jul 2012, 16:14

Your problem was that you have to be root to install files to /usr/local. If you would have cobfigured a target directory where you have write permissions ( edit qwtconfig.pri ) you would have been able to install Qwt as regular user.

Even if you seem to be "successful" I want to add a comment to everybody reading this: never do it this way !!!

I had so many support requests that have to do with bad installations of people following advices like the one above. Most of the frustration with installing Qwt has to do with them, so that I started to mark them as "please don't" wherever I read them.

So please excuse me insisting on the advice: follow the steps in the INSTALL file. When you run into problems ask on the Qwt support channels - but never (!) start copying files manually around like above.

Uwe